Steering mechanism for grading machines



June 1 1926.

C. A. MENTZER STEERING MECHANISM FOR GRADING MACHINES Filed sept. 23,

1925 3 Sheets-Sheet YI rh@ Q hl: i I:

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Filed Sept. 25, 1925 I5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q w wn. w m m w ,KE Mm N m ww or Nw# m .9 l f @my w., w 4% Ww dri f Hummn--- @m 0 IMI B Jun-e l 1926.

` C. A. MENTZER STEERING MECHANISM FOR GRADING MACHINES Filed Sept. 25, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 se a4 Y MWh- r1. n w ,wt e nm ,m WM w D@ f e? C m fw, ww UJ 5 Patented June -l, 1926.

UNITED STATE F F l C E.

CLARENCE A. MENTZER, OF MNNEAPOLS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR T STCCKLAND ROAD MACHINERY COMPANY, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MNNESOTA, A CORPORATION.

STEERING MECHANISM FOR GRADING MACHINES.

Application filed September 23, 1925. Serial No. 58,040.

My invention relates to steering mechanism for grading machines and more particularly to grading machines Vwhich are drawn by tractors. An object is to provide improved draw-bar means for offsetting the point of attachment to the tractor so that the latter may travel out of alignment with the grading machine as for instance, the tractor may run upon the middle portion of a road while the grader will be drawn along ion the sloping side of the road where it is commonly necessary to have the grader operate.

The full objects and advantages of my invention will appear in connection with the detailed description thereof, and the novel features embodied in my inventive idea will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate a practical embodiment of the invention Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the mechanism. Fig. 2 is a view in central, longitudinal section. Fig. 3 is a view in section on the line 3 8 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a view in section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 isa view in section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the construction shown in the drawings the numeral 16 designates the front portion of the frame of a road grading machine. A plate 12 is secured to the frame near its front end. A casting 14 is secured to the middle portion of the plate 12. The upper end of a tube 18, which constitutes a draft post, is secured in said cast` ing. A bevel gear 2O has a hub rotatably mounted in the upper end of the tube 18 and this gear is secured to the'upper end of a shaft-22 which as shown in Fig. 5 may be a square shaft and which extends down thru the tube 18. Meshing with the bevel gear 20 is a bevel gear 24 which is connected by a universal coupling 26 with a shaft 28 which extends toward the rear of the machine so that it may be turned by the operator. The frame has secured thereto by angularly disposed arms 30, a bolster plate 82 which is received in a channel in a. casting 84 as shown in Fig. 2 and to which the plate 82 is riveted as shown in Fig. 4. rlhe casting 84 rests rotatably upon a disk 86 to which a bolster plate 88 is riveted, this bolster plate having angularly disposed arms 40 whose ends are secured to the housing 42 of a front axle 48 upon which the front or steering wheelsI 44 are mounted. A rear1 wardly extending upwardly inclined arm 46 is secured to a plate 48 lyingbelow the bolster plate 88, the plate 48 as shown in Fig. 2 having clips 50 secured thereto pro-v vided with angular ends extending over the disk 86. A forwardly extending upwardly inclined arm 52 is secured to a V rshaped pivot member 54 to which a draw bar 56 is attached by horizontal pivot 58. Theniember 54 in effect constitutes part of the draw bar. The inclined arms 46 and 52 extend up from a ring 59 rotatable upon a stud 61 projecting up from a bracket 63 secured to the housing 42 as shown in Fig. 4. Secured to the draw bar 56 is a casting 60 which constitutes a housing for a worm gearing consisting of a worm 62 and a worm gear 64. The worm 62 is secured to the forward end of a shaft 66 provided with universal couplings 68, TO and 72. To the rear end of the shaft 66 is secured a bevel gear 74 which meshes with a. bevel gear 76 secured to the lower end of the shaft 22. The worm gear 64 as shown in Fig. 8 has a hub portion 7 8 which connects it with a sprocket wheel 80 around which passes a section of sprocket chain 82 whose ends are connected with the forward ends of rods 84, the rear ends of which are attached to eyes 86 secured to the arms 40 of the lower bolster' plate 38.

. rl`he lower ends of the arms 40 as previously stated are secured' to the axle housing whereby it results that turning of the sprocket wheel 80 will cause the wheels 44 to swing in one direction or the other ac-4 cording to the direction in which theY sprocket wheel is turned. As will be apparent from Fig. 2 the rear end of the shaft 66 is mounted in an elbow shaped bearing 88 whose vertical portion is swiveled on the lower end of the tubular post so that the shaft 66 may swing laterally. An angular lug 90 secured to the plate 48 engages with the bearing 88 so that the draw bar and the shaft 66 swing together. Rotation o-f the shafL 28 by the operator will, by the connections previously described, cause swinging movement of the axle and the front wheels by which means the grader may be steered independently of the draw bar. The engagement -of the worm 62 with the worm wheel 64 enables the latter and the attached sprocket wheel to be readily turned by the operator and the wheels when swung in this manner can not swing back into straight position by themselves since the worin gearing has a loc-king engagement so far as the latter movement is concerned. But the operator of course can operate the shaft 28 at any time to bring the wheels into straight position. It is therefore apparent that the draw bar and the wheels can swing together or the wheels can swing independently of the draw bar. The draw bar may be turned so as to extend to one side of the line of draft when the draw bar is connected with the tractor or other pulling means. This enables the tractor to run upon the middle portion of the road while the grader is down on the sloping side portion of the road. The turning of the draw bar is around the draft post 18 as a center so that the draft strain is always directly carried to this draft post. By reason of the fact that the swinging of the draw bar is around the draft center it is an easy matter for the operator to move the draw bar when the machine is in operation with the draw bar subject-ed to heavy strain.

I claim l. In combination with the frame of a grading machine, a tubular draft post earried by said frame, a 'front axle journaled on said draft post for swinging movement in a. horizontal plane, a supporting member carried by said axle, a draw bar attached to said supporting member by a horizontal pivot, a vertical shaft extending through said tubular post, a forwardly extending shaft, gears connecting the lower end of said Vertical shaft and the rear end of said forwardly extending shaft, worm gearing mounted on said draw bar, the worm of said gearing being secured to the forward end of said last mentioned shaft, flexible connections extending from the worm gear of said gearing to-said axle for swinging the latter, an elbow shaped bearing having a horizontal `portion in which the rear portion of said last mentioned shaft is mounted, and having a vertical portion swiveled on the lower end of said tubular post, and means connecting said supporting member and said bearing for causing said draw bar and `said last mentioned shaft to swing together.

2. In combination with the frame of a grading machine, a tubular draft post carried by said frame, a. downwardlyY extending bolster secured to said frame, a front axle, a housing for said axle, an upwardlyy extending bolster secured to said housing, said holsters haring horizontal portions` lying adjacent each other, a plate positioned underneath the lower one of said horizontal portions, said draft post extendingl through said plate and said horizontal portions. an up ardly inclined arm connecting the center of said housing with the rear ot' said plate, an upwardly inclined arm extending forwardly from the center of said housing, a V-shaped member connecting the upper end of said last mentioned arm with the front of said plate, a draw bar attached to the apex of said V-shaped member by a horizontal pivot, a vertical shaft extending through said tubular post, a forwardly extending shaft, gears connecting the lower end of said vertical shaft and the rear end of said forwardly extending shaft, worm gearing mounted on said draw bar, theA worm of said gearing being secured to the forward end of said last mentioned shaft, and connections from the worm of said gearing extending to said axle for swinging the latter.

In testimony whereof I hereunto alli); my signature.

CLARENCE- A. MEN'IZER. 

